Childhood Memories
by Reffer Lift
Summary: Ilia waits at the gates of Ordon for Link to return, remembering Childhood Memories as she waits. But, she isn't too thrilled to see him come home, for she knows that he still loves her... Onesided slight LinkxIlia. The first in the Childhood series.


A/N: Hello everyone. As I am trying to recover writers block for OMG! A Bug 3! (Yes, I know you are all gonna cry now. :)) I wrote this. There isn't enough LinkxIlia fanfics and I thought that it's time to write one. I will write more, but so I won't get criticized, they'll ether be onesided or slight, like this one. This one is a mix of onesided and a bit of a slight relationship. So, without further ado, here's the disclaimer!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda or it's sequels and/or spin offs. What, you thought I was gonna make this funny or something?

Childhood Memories

She waited.

For days and days she did. Ilia would stand at the gates of Ordon, waiting for Link's return. Some days she went with the children of the village. Others she went alone. She would spend all day there, waiting for the sound of hooves galloping on the ground, for the call of Link's voice saying, "I'm home!"

For too long she missed his voice.

She stood at the gates again today, waiting for the hero. She sat silently, like she always did. A few hours passed, and the children woke up and ran to Ilia.

"Hey, is Link back yet!?" Talo called out to Ilia as he ran toward her. She just turned her head, smiled and said, "No. Not yet."

A few minutes later, the children were at her side, telling her made up stories about a super strong hero who saved and protected all life. The hero had a blade of evil's bane, and a shining sacred triangle in his left hand that held the blade. They also told her about an evil desert man who wanted the sacred triangle for his own, and attempted to kill the hero for it. In the end, the hero killed the evil desert man, and saved the world once again.

All these stories made Ilia smile.

She knew they were about Link. She knew he had a "blade of evil's bane." and that he had defeated the "evil desert man." The stories were cute, and she knew that Link would go into great detail about them when he came back. However, she wasn't overly excited.

He would talk about Midna.

Yes, she knew her name. She knew about their love. Link loved Midna. Midna loved Link. It was as simple as that.

Ilia thought that was unfair.

She had known him for all his life, and he falls in love with an imp he travelled with for a few months. How did he fall in love with her? Was she doing something wrong?

Ilia sat with the children, hiding her shame.

"Hey, guys, I have a story to tell." She said. The kids got excited.

"Ooh! What's it about, Ilia!" The children exclaimed. Ilia smiled, and looked into the horizon.

-----

**'I was about your age when it happened...'**

The children imagined Ilia when she was young. She looked the same, just a bit shorter and her hair was longer.

**'Link and I were playing in the ranch.'**

They were in the ranch, Ilia and Link, playing around, riding the horses and goats.

"Look at what I can do!" A young Link with shorter, blonder, hair called out to his friend. He then aggravated a goat.

"Link, are you crazy!" Young Ilia cried out.

"Heh... I can take him!" Young Link exclaimed. Young Link opened his arms wide and got ready to handle the raging goat.

"Link!"

"Here he comes...!"

The goat raged at Young Link. Link then suddenly took hold of the goat's horns and flipped him over.

"Too easy!" Young Link exclaimed.

**'It was amazing... I didn't think he could do that!'**

"Wow, Link! I could never do that!" Young Ilia exclaimed as well.

"Hey, do you wanna ride the horses?" Young Link asked.

"Are we allowed?" Young Ilia asked back.

"Sure, why not?" Link replied. He went into the stable and brought out a Black Stallion.

**'It was the most stunning horse I had ever seen...'**

"Cool!" Young Ilia exclaimed. "What's he called?"

"His name is Twilight, because of his colour." Link replied. "Wanna go for a ride?"

**'Link hopped on the horse and started galloping around... I wanted to go on too.'**

"Hey!" Young Ilia called out to her horse riding friend. "I wanna turn!"

Young Link smiled and galloped to her.

He then grabbed her and lifted her up and on to Twilight.

**'We started riding... It had to be the best moment of my life... Then I fell off.'**

"Ow..." Young Ilia cried as she fell on the ground.

"Ilia! Are you ok?" Young Link asked, running up to her.

"I hurt my leg..." Young Ilia cried again.

"Here," Young Link started to say. "I'll carry you home!"

"What!?" Young Ilia exclaimed.

"You heard me." Young Link said.

"Um... ok..." Young Ilia said worryingly.

**'He picked me up and I was in his arms...'**

Young Link was carrying Young Ilia home. Ilia blushed a bit.

"Link, are you ok? I mean, carrying me home and all..." She said.

"Naw, it's ok... hm?" Young Link said as he turned around. He had found a young colt, probably not named yet.

"Hey, Ilia! Look! A colt!" He exclaimed.

"Does he have a name?" Young Ilia asked.

"She. It's a girl." Young Link corrected. "And she doesn't have a name yet, I think."

"Then let's give her a name!" Young Ilia exclaimed.

"Hmm... what should we name her?" Young Link asked in wonder.

"What about Epona?" Young Ilia asked.

"Where did you get that name from?" Young Link asked back.

"I dunno. I just did." Young Ilia shrugged.

"Well, I like it. It's a nice name. Epona it is!" Young Link exclaimed.

-----

"He then set me down on Epona, and we walked home." Ilia said as she finished her story.

"Cool!" Talo exclaimed.

"That was a satisfying story." Malo said.

"Very nice." Beth commented.

"Are you telling them that story?"

Ilia looked up, and Link was staring down at her. Ilia smiled the biggest smile of her life.

"Link!" She exclaimed as she sat up and gave him a hug. He hugged her back. Ilia was crying.

"Link..." She said again, tears in her eyes.

"I'm home," Link simply said.

"LINK!" Ilia hugged him harder, tears now streaming down her cheeks. She finally looked up at him. He smiled back at her.

"Well," Link started to say. "we should get home. I have a story to tell all of you."

"Yeah!" Talo exclaimed yet again.

The small, family like group walked toward Link's house. They were soon stopped, however, from an angry Rusl.

"There you guys are, Talo, Malo, Beth, your parents are worried! GET HOME NOW!" Rusl yelled.

"Y-Yes sir!" The children exclaimed as they ran home.

"Oh, hi Link." Rusl simply said. He then walked away.

"He didn't seem surprised." Link stated. "I guess it's because I saw him the entire time, or something like that." He shrugged after.

"Yeah..." Ilia said. "So, um, Link?" Ilia started to say.

"Yes, what is it?" Link asked.

"Well, on your adventure, what really... I mean how... how are you and Midna?" Ilia finally asked. Link sighed.

"She went back to the Twilight, and broke the only way of contact between us." Link said sadly.

"Oh." Ilia quietly said. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I feel fine, really." Link said after. Ilia smiled a bit.

"I'm glad to hear that." She said.

They continued walking to Link's house. When they were walking, however, Ilia tripped on a rock.

"Ah!" She cried out.

"Ilia! Are you ok?" Link asked.

"I-I'm fine..." She struggled to say.

"No you're not." Link said.

"No, i'm fine, really!" Ilia said. She tried to get up, but she had hurt her ankle, and couldn't get up and fell.

"I'll carry you home." Link said after Ilia's attempt to walk.

"What? I mean, you don't have t-"

She was cut short by Link picking her up and into his arms.

"Ilia..."

She looked up.

"Why don't you just come out and say it?"

Ilia was shocked. Was Link reading her mind?

"Well, because..."

"If I can't be with one, then why shouldn't I be with the other?" Link told her, smiling. Ilia blushed, and snuggled herself in his arms.

-----

Ilia woke up from her dream, crying. Link had not come home yet.

"He loves her, no matter what my dream says. It's just a dream... Why is it so unfair!" Ilia cried. She ran out of her house and to the gates.

"LINK!" She called out, into the openness.

"Link...!" She cried out again.

"Tell me, why do you love her? Why don't you love me! I want to know..." Ilia cried to the horizon.

"Tell me..."

-----

Night turned into day and Ilia was still standing by the gates, tears streaming down her face. She remembered a time, a time where Link comforted her...

-----

"Wahhh!" Young Ilia cried out.

"Ilia? What's wrong?" Young Link asked his friend.

"Twilight got hurt! Really bad! They say he won't ride again..." Young Ilia cried.

"What happened!?" Young Link asked.

"He was jumping fences and as he was jumping, his hind legs got caught and he stumbled onto his front legs. He had broken all his legs and broke his spine... well, that's what I heard." Young Ilia explained, tears streaming down her eyes. Young Link opened his arms and wrapped them around Young Ilia.

"It's ok. We can train Epona. She can be a better horse than Twilight!" Young Link exclaimed. Young Ilia smiled.

"Hey, yeah! You're right!" She exclaimed.

"Ok! Then do you wanna visit Twilight, see how he's doing, and start training Epona?" Young Link asked.

"Yeah!" Young Ilia exclaimed. "Just no jumping fences!"

They both laughed.

-----

"We were so young back then..." Ilia said, crying. "So young, naive... why didn't I seize my chance when I had it... Now it's too late..."

Ilia fell to the ground. She needed someone to hug.

And someone did.

She looked in front of her to see who it was, and Link was staring at her, smiling.

"Link...?"

"I'm hom-"

"You jerk!" Ilia exclaimed, pushing him away.

"What did I-"

"'What did I do?' You go off loving that Midna chick! What about me? I know about you and her. So now I ask. What happened to me?" Ilia cried. Link paused.

"I know that I love her." Link finally said.

"Yeah. So what?" Ilia stated.

"But you're still more than a friend."

Ilia's eyes widened.

"L-Link...?"

He picked her up.

"And no matter what," He started to say. "We'll still be friends. I know that you're that mature."

"H-Hey! I'm older than you! I'm mature!" Ilia exclaimed. Link smiled.

"Not now you weren't!" He teased. They both laughed. They were then both silent as Link carried Ilia home.

"Hey, Link?" Ilia asked.

"What is it?" Link asked. He stopped as Ilia just stared at him.

"Never mind." Her dreams already told her the answer. They kept walking and Ilia once again melted into his arms, like she did when she was young.

And to her, that was all that mattered.

Fin

A/N: You know, after writing this fic, I feel like I won't get as criticized like I thought I would. Now I might write some harder LinkxIlia fics! Well, not that hard. I actually have a formula for LinkxIlia fics that I use. Midna is in the Twilight. She broke the mirror. Link loves her, but also love's Ilia. So, if he can't have one, he should just settle for second place and take Ilia. I'm planning on writing a story based on this formula, so I can incorporate both LinkxMidna and LinkxIlia into one.

I hope that you have enjoyed this story, and don't worry, fans of OMG! A Bug! Number 3 is on it's way!


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